-LRB- Billboard -RRB- The key to rock 's longevity is it never defines itself into irrelevance . So while there were some loud , dirty guitars at the 2015 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony in Cleveland on Saturday night , there was as much recognition for rock 's antecedents in soul and blues , speaking less to a particular taxonomy than a spirit that 's beyond words .

It 's easy to talk of such spirit when Paul McCartney is there to honor Ringo Starr , and Yoko Ono is on hand as well . Speaking briefly backstage , Ono expressed feeling that it was wonderful for Starr to be honored , `` just sad John and George are n't here , '' referring to her late husband John Lennon and Beatles guitarist and fellow songwriter George Harrison .

Starr was certainly happy to be there -- after a long wait , he 's the final Beatle to be inducted as a solo act .

`` I 've finally been invited , and I love it , '' said the 74-year-old drummer . `` I got lucky , and it was actually in Cleveland , '' he said to enormous applause .

Fifty-one years earlier , Starr had been in town to play the very same Hall ; he admitted backstage that he did n't remember the cops stopping the show during `` All My Loving '' and making the Beatles return to the dressing room for ten minutes until the fans could be calmed . Starr said in a backstage interview that he could n't recall the incident specifically , but admitted that there had been a lot of shows in between .

`` I 'll remember this one , '' he promised .

Others receiving Rock Hall honors included Paul Butterfield Blues Band , early soul act The 5 Royales , singer Bill Withers , punk rockers Green Day , Lou Reed , Joan Jett & the Blackhearts and Stevie Ray Vaughan .

It was a night for the young to honor the old and perhaps prepare for a later visit . John Mayer hailed his longtime idol , the late Vaughan , in a heartfelt speech . John Legend came out to honor Bill Withers with a performance of `` Use Me '' backed by Stevie Wonder , who inducted Withers . The two then shared `` Lean on Me , '' until Legend went and pulled Withers to the front of the stage to join them .

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The 76-year old soul legend has n't performed live in many years but had hinted in the months leading up to the induction ceremonies that he might sing once more . Withers sounded great , though he may have an even brighter future in stand-up .

`` This has got to be the biggest AA meeting -LSB- in the -RSB- Western hemisphere , '' said Withers , alluding to an earlier moment in the show when Jimmie Vaughan confessed , `` I taught my brother guitar , and he taught me how to get sober . ''

He called being inducted by Wonder , `` A lion holding the door for a kitty cat . ''

The moment of relative levity was welcome after moving tributes paid to the late Lou Reed by Patti Smith and Reed 's widow , music artist Laurie Anderson , who shared the three rules for life that they came up with : `` One : do n't be afraid of anyone ; Two : get a really good b ------ t detector and learn how to use it ; Three : be really , really tender . ''

Smith had to push back tears on at least three occasions . She recalled a night when they wound up in the same hotel and Reed invited her up . She found him in the tub dressed in black and she sat on the toilet and talked with him .

Green Day was inducted by Fall Out Boy , who referenced the length of some of the speeches . Cracked Fall Out Boy frontman Patrick Stump : `` I feel like I 'm in a line at the DMV . '' As one of the youngest acts , it 's not surprising they gave one of the two most exciting performances of the evening .

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The other belonged to Tom Morello , Doyle Bramhall II and Zac Brown with harmonica player Jason Ricci performing `` Born in Chicago '' in tribute to the Paul Butterfield Blues Band . Not only did Ricci slay , but Morello played a nasty scabrous solo that raised the hairs on your arm , it was so alive .

Miley Cyrus inducted Joan Jett in her own inimitable way , recalling a time she walked in on Jett smoking pot and being so turned on by her strength , wisdom and soul that the young pop star wanted to have sex with the legendary rocker .

Jett joined the Blackhearts and Foo Fighters ' Dave Grohl for a mini-set that include such classics as `` Bad Reputation , '' the Runaways ' `` Cherry Bomb '' and `` Crimson and Clover , '' the Tommy James & the Shondelles cover that Jett took to No. 1 .

It was that kind of a night , and it closed with a rousing version of the Beatles ' `` I Want to Be Your Man , '' where just about everybody who could make it out on stage did , including a near-end guitar scrum/lead-off between Gary Clark Jr. , Morello , Zac Brown and Yeah Yeah Yeahs ' Nick Zinner .

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Paul McCartney honors Ringo Starr at Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony

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Green Day , Lou Reed , Joan Jett & the Blackhearts also honored